


Star Chasers

by DominatorBot



Category: Furry (Fandom), Original Work
Genre: Action/Adventure, Anthropomorphic, Cats, Exploration, Foxes, Ice Powers, Outer Space, Shapeshifting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-12 15:47:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,279
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29761932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DominatorBot/pseuds/DominatorBot
Summary: Louis and Jenna.  A Baker and a Dragon.  Their stories are very different, separated by light-years.  Louis has a good nature and a simple dream; owning his own bakery.  But this simple dream proves to be difficult to obtain.Meanwhile, Jenna is on her way to reclaim something that was stolen and has to show some bad people what it's like to get in the way of a shape-shifter who can take the form of a dragon.Characters created by @CarolGS13





	1. The Baker and the Dragon

# STAR CHASERS

It was a bright sunny morning in the sleepy town of Hulin. Golden light from the sun illuminated the quaint little village, breathing life into it. Flocks of little worls flew high above the town hall as the morning bell rang out, waking the sleepy town and starting the day. They sang their birdsong with the rings of the bell, fluttering down to the pavement and to the place they were eager to visit.

The worls made sure that street was quiet with very few people in sight, just the way they liked it. Too many people meant too many feet and that meant their morning snack would get trampled. The worls chirped and flapped their wings in anticipation. Soon it was time. Time for their friend to greet them with their first, and best, meal of the day.

There were all manner of shops lining the street, selling clothes, groceries, jewellery anything and everything a thriving little town needed. The worls didn't know nor care what these other stores had to offer, their tiny minds were focused on the only one that mattered. The store with the cat man.

As the light from the sun moved further up the street the rays eventually touched the door of the shop the worls were outside of. Theirs heads twitched as they heard and felt movement from behind the solid wood and glass.

The building had two floors and sitting in between a hair-dressers and an elderly clothing store. The main door was on the right with a large window used for displaying the morning selection. In gold letters painted across the glass were the words, SWEET & GOLD. And through the glass on the door was a sign that read 'Closed'. Outside there were two tables with three seats each and a yellow and white striped canopy above them. The first floor was the bakery itself, where all the work was done. Above that was where the owner of the store lived. And the worls could just about see him coming towards the main door.

“Good morning!” A tall skinny cat-like man pulled the mostly glass door open with one hand while holding an open crate in the other. He had dark blue fur with a green patch over his right ear and eye with another on his right arm below the elbow with smaller patches dotted along his arm. He stopped in front of the worls who made no effort to move out of the way. Normally fearful birds they knew they had nothing to fear from him. “Hm, where did they go?” He asked in an exaggerated tone. “Well if they don't want the scraps I guess I'll have to throw them away.” One of the worls leapt up to the crate, perching itself on the edge of the wooden box. “Ah! There you are. I thought you had forgotten all about me.” The worl chirped, then the others did the same. “Well, since you asked so nicely.” He reached in to the crate and grabbed a handful of breadcrumbs and broken down bits of buns and pastries, tossing them into the air in front of him, spreading the bits all over the street. The worls moved in like it was the only food they had ever seen. “You're welcome.” He said with a laugh while wiping the crumbs from his hands.

He poured out the rest near the entrance to the shop and tapped out any lingering pieces. The worls picked the area clean as if any delay would result in starvation. With a smile he returned to the only place he wanted to be, his bakery. It was approaching opening time and the smell of freshly baked goods, sweet flavourings and ground coffee all mixed together in a perfect blend that he hoped would entice any passers-by to come in and make a purchase. Or, failing that, he hoped they at least remembered his store.

The fresh buns, doughnuts, cakes, tarts and everything else were lined up behind a glass counter ready to be picked and eaten by his loyal customers. The tables and chairs were all set out, napkins were placed and the tablecloths were washed and dried. He took one last look around, making sure that everything was how it should be. He had the place decorated to have a rustic appeal. Everything had that slightly old-fashioned look.

Perfect! When he slipped behind the counter he took off the apron he was wearing for the morning work and put on his 'customer' apron. It had bakery themed designs sown into the garment, things like roller pins, trays, buns. He thought it made him look more approachable over a plain white one with stains on it.

Suddenly he snapped his fingers, remembering the last thing he had to do. He left the counter and went back to the front door and flipped the sign from 'Closed' to 'Open'. Can't forget about that!

When back behind the counter he straightened his apron, took a deep breath in through his mouth and then out through his nose and put on his best smile. A few seconds passed and then right on time was his first customer of the day, Mr Leland, always arriving just after opening, wallet in hand and his choice already made. A pastry with vanilla filling and a coffee.

“Hi Mr Leland! In for your usual?” Louis asked with his casual friendliness that he was known for. Bill was a heavy-set brown bear in a tan suit with a green tie. Bears rarely wore shoes and Bill was no exception.

“Louis, how many times do I have to tell you? It's Bill! I'm only Mr Leland to my students.” He spoke calmly but with a slight frustration. Louis wondered how many times he _did_ tell him that. But there was no mistaking the humour behind his tone.

“Right! Bill!” Nope, it still felt weird. “So is it the usual?”

“Could you make it two of those delicious pastries today? I have a busy morning and I want to keep one nearby while I work.” Bill was a teacher at the school that Louis had graduated from a few years back. Mr. Leland was the best teacher there and the main reason he had his own bakery today. Sure Bill wasn't a cook by any stretch of the imagination but what he taught him was more valuable than that.

“Absolutely Mr. Le- Bill.” He used a pair of tongs to select the best of the bunch and placed them into a paper bag. Behind him the coffee maker had boiled and poured out the hot, black liquid. Louis added the milk and sugar. The way Bill liked it. “It's getting near the end of the semester. How're the students holding up?” He handed him the bag and steaming coffee.

“They're a good bunch. Got a lot of promise in them. I'll be sure to send them your way at some point.”

“I'd appreciate that Bill.” More than his old teacher knew.

“Good luck Louis.” He placed the paper bag in his briefcase and held the coffee in his right hand. “Say hi to your folks for me, will you?”

“Will do.” The door closed and the bakery fell silent. And it was silent for a long time. Business wasn't what it was at the start. There were so many people coming in and buying up the place that he was certain that he would need to expand soon. But at some point it all changed. He had heard there was some financial trouble going on with Hulin but Louis was never great with numbers and relied on his calculator to do all the heavy lifting. It was possible that people didn't have the spare cash to spend on sweet and savoury treats.

He opened the cash register and counted the weeks' earnings. It was not good. There was no chance he was going to make rent this month. Which was doubly bad because he didn't make it last month either. And he had already been warned by the bison landlord Gurn Dully that any more missed payments and he loses the shop.

His heart sank at the news, mostly in part by the way Gurn had delivered it. It almost felt like he took pleasure in doing it. And being a bison, Louis didn't want to get into a heated argument with him. He was almost twice his size!

“You're a nice kid Louis but that's your problem.” He had said to him. “You give away too much for free to every sob story that comes in to your store. It's not good business.” He had a fat cigar poking out of the corner of his mouth and spoke with that insufferable half-smile he had. Like everything was a joke to him.

“It was only a couple of times! The only things I give away free these days are the crumbs I feed to the worls!” He tried to make his case. Once bread had gone stale it was only good for dumping or feeding birds.

Gurn shook his large, horned head. “It's not looking good. You've missed this month's rent, that means next months is doubled. If I don't see that money by then I'll be forced to close your shop.” He puffed out a thick cloud of grey smoke.

A crazy thought came to Louis's mind then. He didn't know why he thought of it but he blurted it out before he used his common sense. “How much to buy it from you?”

Gurn laughed, little dark clouds popping out of his mouth. “That's not an option for you, kid. Now get back to your store, think about what you need to do to bring in more business and pay your rent on time.”

“Please, humour me.” He pleaded. Gurn sighed and took out a piece of paper and wrote down the sum, handing it to Louis. His ears dropped after he read it.

“I told ya kid, not an option.”

That conversation was nearly a month ago and nothing's changed. Gurn even came by one day about two weeks after that day to see if there was any improvement but it was clear to anyone with eyes that there wasn't. He merely grunted, blew some smoke then left.

Louis shoved the register shut with more force than he normally would. He never considered himself an easy person to anger but this situation with his store was testing that. After running a hand over his right ear he made a deep sigh.

Just then another customer came in, technically it was two people, a mother and her daughter. Louis greeted them as if nothing was wrong. “Hello folks. What'll you be having today?”

“What would you like sweetie?” The mother asked her very young daughter.

“A cookie!” She said in a voice loud enough the whole street could hear it.

“Well you're just in luck because I have a fresh batch, hot from the oven.” Picking the largest one in the group he dropped it into a white paper bag and handed it to the little girl. She yelped when her hands touched the bag. It was still hot. “Oh, I'm so sorry. Let me fix that.” He held the bag in his hands for a few seconds then gave it back. The girl took it hesitantly but was shocked to see that the cookie had cooled.

“How did you do that?”

He shook his fingers. “Magic.” And winked at her. The mother paid for the cookie and they left his store, the young girl waving goodbye to him through the window.

Louis was staring into the open again cash machine with the fresh money he made in hand. All the money he had wouldn't pay for one months rent let alone two. There was no hope. Tomorrow Gurn will come by, demand the money, take what is there, laugh about it then have him removed from the premises. His dream over before it really began. And homeless.

Next to the sparse notes in the cash register was the note Gurn had scribbled the price for buying the store. Louis took out the note and re-read it. The number almost made him feel dizzy. Louis never even seen that much money before let alone having it. It was a ludicrous amount. He was certain that Gurn made the number up as he had no intention of ever selling the property. But he was out of all other options and he really wanted to keep this store.

But after this disastrous run no bank would even think about giving him a loan. Even his parents wouldn't be able to help with this. His parents. How can he tell them that he failed? The one thing he was good at and he couldn't even do that right? The cold in his hands intensified. Small ice crystals formed on his palms. They always got like this when he was emotional. One time he did something incredible and created a beam of ice and froze some of the furniture in the house. His parents had told him that all Arcancian cats had special abilities but Louis wanted nothing to do with his own. What good were cold hands any way?

The day went on and one or two more people showed up and then it came to closing time. He took another quick look at the cash register, sighed loudly and locked the entrance, flipping the sign back to 'Closed'. Though it really should say 'Closed for good!'.

He climbed the stairs to the second floor where he lived. There wasn't much to it. A single bedroom, bathroom and the living room was sharing space with the kitchen. His stomach grumbled but he didn't feel like eating yet and went to lie down for a while. Watching TV or reading a book would have been his normal routine at this point but he was too upset to think about doing that either. For a while he just lay on his bed, still wearing his 'customer' apron. And he felt so defeated.

He turned in his bed and saw the photo he kept of his parents on the table by his bed. Their happy and proud faces and the grand opening of his store only made him feel worse.

There was no point holding it off. He grabbed his coat and some of the left-over pastries on the way out, locked up the store and walked the two miles to his parent's house. Hulin being a relatively small town meant everything was within walking distance but it also meant rumours spread pretty quickly. There was little doubt in his mind that someone was watching him coming back home, looking the way he did and putting two and two together. Tomorrow at lunchtime the whole town will know of his failure.

The street they lived in, his childhood street, was like something out of a painting. An idyllic place that seemed too good to be real. Or maybe that's just how he saw it. He hadn't lived there in nearly three years, hoping that the only reason he would come back would be to move in to his new house that he would have bought with the money he made at the shop.

Another dead dream.

When he left all those years ago he had everything planned out. He was going to go to a local school for it's baking courses. After two years of that he did a year of apprenticing in Millon and learned practical experience in a bakery, took all that knowledge, went back to his home town, bought the empty store and began his short lived dream.

It was an incredible time and he met so many wonderful people but to his own disappointment he never became friends with any of them. He was so focused in his dream that he neglected to share it with anyone else. For so long he imagined running his own bakery by himself. Was it possible that that was a mistake?

He pressed the bell at the door and waited. The white door was flung open and his dad was on the other side. His father was taller than him and a little bit rounder in the middle. His fur was all dark blue same as Louis' but without the green patches. “Son! We weren't expecting you! Is everything alright?”

Louis didn't answer right away. Keeping his thoughts as just thoughts was one thing, but saying them out loud was another. “Not really, dad. Mind if I come in?”

“Oh, of course.” He stepped to one side.

He wiped his feet as he came in. “Thanks. Here I brought these for you and mom.” He handed him the white paper bag with the pastries inside.

His dad opened the bag and took a peak. Louis knew he brought him his favourite. “That's kind of you. But, uh, what's the problem? Bad day for customers?”

“Yeah, but that's not the whole thing.” He stood in the well lit hall, looking through the family portraits of him as a small boy and his folks. Simpler times. There was also one of the grandfather that was taken at a time when he was still young. Probably the same age Louis is now.

“Why don't you come into the living room and I'll get your mother.” His dad disappeared into the kitchen where Louis could smell the dinner his mom was making.

“Okay.” Louis sat on the sofa. The TV was on, his dad had been watching the news. Louis couldn't follow the story, he found it hard to concentrate.

“Louis!” His mom came in, still wearing her own apron and threw her arms around him. “It's been a while!” His mother had white fur with grey hands and ears and a random assortment of sizes of spotted grey patches all over her body. He didn't inherit any of her colours but he did get her love of cooking.

“I'm sorry, I meant to visit a while ago but I was...” He was going to say he was busy but that wasn't true. It was embarrassment and humiliation that kept him away. “..afraid.”

“Afraid? Why?” His parents sat down on the couch opposite from him, worry on their faces.

“I'm loosing the store. Gurn's going to come in tomorrow and take it from me.” He had to hold back his tears as saying the words out loud, and confirming it to his parents, was harder than he thought.

“Oh, son, I'm so sorry. Is there anything we can do?”

“No. I don't know what can be done.” He couldn't look at them. He kept his eyes on his shoes, twiddling his thumbs.

His parents sat down at either side of him. His father put an arm around him. “You're a smart kid, Louis. I'm sure you'll find your feet again.”

Louis looked up at him, his eyes wet. “But this was my dream. I worked hard for it.”

“We know.” His mother said soothingly.

“We're about to have dinner. Why don't you stay for the night and we can talk about this in the morning?” His dad offered. Hot food did sound like a good idea right now.

“Okay, I'll stay tonight.” He wiped away the tears that threatened to come.

“That's great! Hey, maybe you can come with me on the road tomorrow? I have some deliveries that need done. I'd like the company.” His dad gave him a sad smile. How could he refuse?

“Sure, dad. I'd like that.”

After dinner they sat in the living room and watched some television. Louis couldn't remember what it was they watched, but it was something funny as they were laughing a lot. He found it difficult to crack a smile. When he decided he needed to sleep he said goodnight to his parents and went up to his old room.

It was exactly the way he had left it. After getting dressed he went under the blankets and quietly cried to himself.

* * *

It was dark. The sky was filled with the twinkling lights of distant stars. Beneath that sky was a small fort, built out of a hodge podge of different materials and objects. This wasn't a military fort. But it was armed like one. Each corner had a tower with two guards posted. One with a scoped rifle the other a pair of binoculars. With two pairs of eyes at each corner nothing could approach the fort without being seen even with the cover of night.

Massive floodlights lit up both entrances. Barbed wire lined the top of the walls. Inside there were multiple patrols moving in and out of each building, sweeping every floor and checking every corner. Anyone foolish enough to try to sneak in to a place like that was going to get spotted almost immediately.

If you were going in on foot. Jenna had a different way of approaching the fort. True she could still be spotted coming in from high up. A hover car or starship would get noticed quicker than anyone going in by the ground. No, Jenna had an alternative way to get up high, one where she could easily slip in over their radar and reach the place she needed to get without being seen.

She had done some reconnaissance the day before, watching the coming and going of the criminals. Their patrols were few but well armed and they changed duties every eight hours. The guards in the towers every twelve. It didn't take her long to figure out where she needed to go. The middle building was where she needed to go, at the top floor. Through her binoculars she saw an Iguana entering the top floor and spending his whole day in there. He had to be the boss. So it stood to reason that he would keep valuable and expensive things in his own office.

With one powerful flap of her wings she launched herself straight up into the sky. She made sure to darken her clothes to match the darkness around her, making her almost invisible to the naked eye. The cliff she was previously standing on was roughly a kilometre from the fort, a distance she could cover very quickly.

As she approached the fort she was surprised at how big it was up close. Knowing where she was going helped a little. It kept her focused on what was important and not to worry about every other detail. She needed to keep her concentration for other things. Fortunately her target was the tallest building at the center of the fort, surrounded by a range of other structures not even half of it's size. Mostly barracks for the staff and security. One, near the back, was a garage where they kept their hover cars and bikes. It was a well stocked, and well fortified location and yet none of that had prepared them for her.

Her feet touched down on the roof. There were no guards up here. Why would they post guards in a place no one would ever reach? Jenna was thankful for their arrogance. The office she needed to get to was on the east side of the building at the top floor. Most of that top floor was taken up by an office, owned by Harvey Puliv, leader of the Osmarian Syndicate.

Jenna grew her wings out again and used them to lower herself over the edge. They kept her in the air while she slipped her hands under an open window, rising it high enough for her to squeeze in. Once inside she still had the hardest part to do, find and open the safe.

As it turned out finding it wasn't actually that hard. Again, Harvey didn't see the point in hiding it that well when no one in their right mind would try to steal from the Osmarian Syndicate in their own headquarters.

Turning her soft furry arms into large scaly ones and her paw like fingers into reptilian claws she grabbed the handle to the safe and ripped the door off. Inside was what she was looking for. Her tail twitched in excitement as she put the blue gem in her hair and changed her arm and hand back to normal.

Now all she had to do was fly up and away and be long gone before anyone realises what had happened. Not like they would ever find out anyway. She giggled to herself as she approached the open window. Suddenly the door behind her burst open and three armed guards came charging in, raising their blaster rifles at her. Jenna turned back and raised her arms.

A fourth figure emerged from behind the guards. A tall Iguana, his shifting eyes taking in the scene. The broken safe, the lone cat woman near the window, a missing gem. “Why have you come to rob me?” He asked her.

Jenna laughed but there was no humour in it. “Rob you? That's rich coming from a thief!”

“I assure you I didn't steal that gem. It was acquired by a third person and it ended up in my hands. All perfectly legal.” His voice was slippery.

“Was it legal to threaten her with a ruined business if she didn't pay you protection money?” Jenna had only been in the nearby town for two days when an old sheep lady called Elrie had told her about the robbery, and why it happened.

Harvey shrugged. “It's a dangerous galaxy, uh, miss...?”

“Jenna.”

He nodded. “Jenna. No telling what kind of bad people would try to rob a sweet old lady and her antique store.” He showed his teeth in a grotesque smile.

“I've got a pretty good idea.” She said with a hard stare.

“Look, I don't want to waste any more time on this. But before I have my men blast you to atoms I want to know; how did you get in without being caught?” There was a genuine curiosity in his voice. Which was to be expected. After all she just did what should have been impossible.

“I have my ways.” She answered cryptically.

“It hardly matters.” He waved a hand and the three armed men raised their rifles to eye level. “The secret will die with you.”

“I'm not dying today.”

Finished with the conversation Harvey snapped his fingers. His men opened fire, concentrating on the spot where Jenna was standing. Smoke from the barrels of their guns obscured their vision. Confident that the intruder was nothing more than a pile of ash they ceased firing.

The smoke cleared. And Jenna was still standing. Harvey blinked when he saw her still alive and looking a lot different than she did moments ago. Gone was her dark maroon fur, replaced with hard scales of the same colour. The laser blasts didn't even leave scorch marks. “Shoot her again!” He ordered, but his men were still too stunned to reload in time.

“Let me show you what I can do.” Jenna brought her arms down to her sides and concentrated. She had done this so many times before that she didn't need to exert too much willpower. And her body began to change. She grew two feet taller, her new horns scrapping the ceiling, ridges appeared along her nose, up over her head and down her back. Her hands became claws, bigger than Harvey's head. Her body took on a more serpentine shape. The bushy tail was replaced with a scaled one. Her legs grew wide and powerful. And her head, gone was the soft cat face, transformed into a long dragon snout. Her wings were folded against her back. There was little room for them in the cramped office. The cat woman was gone. A dragon had taken her place.

Harvey's own softer scaled skin took on a new colour. A lot paler than it was a minute ago. “F-f-fire!” He managed to squeeze out.

Jenna didn't give them time to lift their guns. Her larger legs propelled her forward, crashing into the group. Her horned head slammed into the chest of the middle one while her outstretched arms grabbed the other two. She knocked their heads together, rendering them unconscious. Harvey was the only one left.

Staying in her dragon form Jenna leapt onto him, forcing him to the floor. Pinning him down with one large, clawed hand, feeling his bones bend under her weight. She brought her face in close to his. Sharp white fangs stood out against the deep red of her scales.

“A hard life is no excuse to hurt others.” She slammed her jaws tightly together an inch away from Harvey's terrified face. “I'll be in contact with that sweet old lady and if I hear her say anything that even hints at you bothering her...” She let out a mighty roar, saliva flying out and spraying Harvey. “I'll come back to finish this.”

Lifting her heavy clawed hand off of him Harvey was able to breathe more easily. With that done she reverted back to her regular self. A slightly tall cat woman in a one-piece black outfit, the scales were gone, turned back into the soft fur. But she kept the wings.

Harvey was still on the floor. It looked like he forgot how to use his legs. “Wait! Before you go.” He gulped. What did he want now? “Would you consider working for me? I could use someone with your talent.”

Jenna laughed. “I'm sure you could. But that's never going to happen.” She turned away from him, her bushy tail swishing about. With one leg out the window she turned her head to look at Harvey. “This is a good chance for you to change your ways. Think about it.” She lifted her other leg through the gap and leapt into the cool night air and spread her wings out to their full size, flapping her way back to the village she had arrived in only days before.

When she reached the village she withdrew her wings and headed straight for the antique store. It was late but the store doubled as the old lady's home. That and Jenna had promised to have the family heirloom back tonight. And sure enough there was a single light coming out of a second floor window. Jenna pressed the doorbell. She had to wait a minute or two for Elrie to answer the door.

“Jenna! You've come back! Does that mean..?” The old lady was quite small and an easy target for crooks and thieves.

Jenna reached into her large hair and withdrew the blue gem. It was about the size of a walnut but much heavier. She held it out in her palm. “Here you go ma'am.” The elderly sheep took the priceless stone and covered it with both hands, afraid to let it go. There were tears in her eyes.

“Thank you, so much. This means more to me than the price it's worth.” She needed a minute to compose herself. “Come inside, it's cold tonight. You can have some tea.”

“Thanks, Elrie. I would take some hot cocoa if you have some?” She hid it well but Jenna was feeling very tired. Turning into a dragon was exhausting work not just physically but mentally. What she needed right now more than a hot beverage was a good rest.

“Of course!” In the kitchen Elrie was pouring the freshly boiled water into two cups. One with a teabag, the other with cocoa powder. She added milk to both mugs then handed one to Jenna.

“Mmm delicious.” She said after licking her lips.

They sat at the kitchen table, savouring the taste and warmth of their drinks. “Where will you go next?”

“Don't know yet. I don't plan that far ahead.” She said with a smile.

“My guest room is available to you for as long as you need it. Surely you're not in any rush to leave?”

Jenna nodded, she wasn't in any hurry and besides she wanted to stay for a few days to make sure Harvey behaved himself and took her threat seriously. Killing him was not on the table for her but she hoped Harvey wouldn't figure that out. “I appreciate that Elrie. Think I might stay in town for a few days. There's always someone who needs help, right?”

“That much is true.” Replied the old sheep. “We'll talk more tomorrow. The guest room is on the second floor, first door on your right. Goodnight, dearie.”

“Goodnight Elrie.” Jenna finished the rest of her hot cocoa then went upstairs to bed. It was a modest room with little in the way of decoration. But she didn't mind that, all that mattered to her was how soft that bed was going to be. To her delight it was perfect. She willed on a pair of silky pyjamas she liked to wear and slipped in under the covers. It was warm and inviting. Seconds later and she was fast asleep.


	2. The Trip and The Lunch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Feeling down Louis joins his dad on his delivery route where he might discover a away to get his shop back.  
> Meanwhile, Jenna helps out some more and even goes out to lunch with a stranger. What could go wrong?

Louis opened his eyes. He had a dreamless sleep. What time he had fallen asleep at he couldn't say. Could have been five minutes or five hours ago. He felt it was closer to the former. The fur around his eyes was sticky from the tears and he felt hot under the blankets. Normally that wouldn't be a bad thing especially with how cold the mornings were getting, but the heat was starting to get uncomfortable and it did nothing to cool his permanently cold hands.

Throwing the blanket over to the side Louis swung his feet out and got into a sitting position, hunched over, facing the window. The sun wasn't as bright today, too many clouds obscuring the light. It looked like it might even rain. Louis groaned. Whenever water touched his hands it would freeze almost instantly. Walking around with little clusters of ice on his hands was unpleasant, especially for anyone who tried shaking his hand.

He remembered the conversation he had with his parents the night before and that his dad had offered him to accompany him on the road. That helped improve his mood considerably. It had been years since he went out on a road trip with his old man. But his mood switched back again when he realised that he had to deal with Gurn before he left and hand over the keys to the store. It wasn't official that he lost his shop yet but that was only a formality. Both he and Gurn knew what was going to happen this morning and Louis didn't want to drag it out any longer than necessary.

It took some effort to get up to his feet and even more to get to the bathroom. After getting a wash and dressing himself he went downstairs to the smell of bacon, eggs and fresh toast and tea and coffee. The sizzle of the frying pan was a comforting sound and his mother humming to herself as she flipped the bacon over was a relaxing touch he had missed these past few years.

“Living on my own is great and all but nothing beats a breakfast made by you.” He kissed his mom on the cheek.

“Aw, that's very sweet of you. It's good having you here too, son. There are times when I wished we spent more time together as a family.” Her tail flicked about in happiness.

“That'll happen now that I'm homeless.” He said flatly.

His mom tutted. “As long as I'm alive you'll always have a home.”

Even during a terrible moment in his life like this he knew he could rely on his parents to look out for him. “Thanks mom.” She placed the cooked breakfast in front of him and poured out the coffee. Louis stared at the food, toying with the egg yolk with his fork. “I don't know why things had gotten so bad. The store did well in the first few months. What changed?” In the beginning it seemed like he was going to be a big success. Dozens of people came in every day and he would nearly sell everything he had made that morning before lunchtime.

His mother wiped her hands on her apron and sat down next to him, looked him in the eyes. “I don't have the answers. It could be for any number of reasons but one thing I know for certain is that it's not because the food was bad. You're skills are too good for that to be the case.” She gave him a sad smile. He had worked so hard for his dream that it didn't feel right to her that he should loose it so quickly.

“That's because I learned from the best.” Louis smiled. He meant it. His mother had taught him everything he needed to know and more. Even when he went to train to become a professional baker it was more for the official status than anything.

Sarah kissed him on the forehead. “Now eat up. You have a long day ahead!” She patted his hand before returning to the cooker.

Louis, feeling like he hadn't eaten in two days, devoured the food before him. Then in the hall leading out of the kitchen he heard those familiar footsteps and felt like a kid again. His dad came into the kitchen. He was in his overalls, a light blue against his dark fur. “Good morning family!” He said in his cheery voice that Louis loved so much. “Sleep alright, son?”

“It was fine.” He lied. “Are there many deliveries today?”

“Plenty! We'll likely be gone all day.” He gave Sarah a sideways glance.

“That's why I've prepared lunches for you both. They're over there.” An assortment of fruit, sandwiches, water and other snacks filled two plastic boxes. Louis was near certain it was the same one he used to take with him to school years ago.

“Don't know what I'd do without you, Sarah.” His dad blew her a kiss.

“Starve I'd say.” She laughed before joining them in breakfast.

When the last of the food was eaten they said their goodbyes, took the two lunch boxes and went outside to the delivery truck. Louis gave his mom one last kiss before leaving. “See you tonight mom.” But before he could leave his mother threw her arms around him and hugged him. “You have fun now, okay?”

“I promise.” He hugged her back.

She released her hold on him and watched silently as he hopped into the air-truck while his dad double-checked that everything was there and accounted for and climbed into the driver's seat. Louis waved back to his mom while his dad called out to her, “I love you!” Louis could see his mom mouthing the same words.

The engine started, roared to life. Steady vibrations rippled through the air-truck. “Don't forget to drop me off at Sweet & Gold before we leave town. I need to get that done as quickly as possible.”

“Of course, son.” His dad pulled out of the driveway and onto the street. Traffic was light but that was due to the fact that most people travelled higher in the sky. Louis's dad could have done the same but he preferred to keep closer to the ground, less chance of loosing the packages if something went wrong. And there was always a chance for that.

Healthy green and blue trees lined the road, blurring by as the air-truck gained speed. Light from the sun coupled with the rain from the night before kept these beautiful pieces of foliage growing and colourful. Louis liked these trees, they reminded him of his own colours. Colours that he didn't share with his parents but with his grand dad on his father's side. Funny how that worked sometimes.

The air-truck slowed to a stop while Louis's dad shut off hover mode. It descended slowly until the air-truck was flat on the ground. They stopped outside his shop. Louis didn't want to go in. Stepping inside meant no going back. It was over. All hope gone. But what other choice was there? If he didn't do this now Gurn would likely try to sue him, taking even more money from him. Money he didn't have. And he was not about to put his parents through that burden.

His dad put a furred hand on his shoulder. “It's alright, son.” Louis didn't believe that was true, how could it be? His dream was over. It _can't_ be alright. But the sincerity in his voice and eyes made Louis think that maybe it could be. Maybe. Life was strange and unexpected things can happen at any time. Louis forced a smile. “Thanks, dad.”

He exited the air-truck, slammed the door shut and walked straight to his store. He could see that Gurn had let himself in and was poking through the cash register. Louis took some small satisfaction knowing he wasn't going to find much. He pushed the door open and the little bell rang.

“Ah, Louis. You're late this morning. What about your customers?” He said, dripping with sarcasm.

“I don't have time for this Gurn. Here.” He tossed the keys at him. The buffalo caught them in mid-flight. “You'll have the deed once my things are moved out from upstairs.”

“And where are they going? Did you find a new place already?” He paused, savouring the next line. “Or are you moving back in with your parents?”

Louis didn't look at him. Gurn knew that Louis wanted to be independent, living on his own never scared him, in fact he couldn't wait to move out and start his life away from home. Getting things done on his own, that's how Louis approached life. “That's none of your business.” The buffalo laughed. He knew. Feeling angry and ashamed Louis blurted out, “Just you wait! I'll be back some day with enough money to buy this place! Then we'll see who's laughing.”

“If you do, I still win, kid.” He puffed out a cloud of smoke.

If Louis had the nerve he would have punched him. Physical violence didn't come naturally to Louis, he avoided confrontations like that all his life. But here, today, was the closest her ever got to breaking that tradition.

He left the store, not looking back and got back on the air-truck. Without saying a word his dad drove off, knowing that his son was upset and that there was nothing he could do about it.

The first town they arrived in was only ten miles from home. A busy little place called Willowhaven. Louis had been here before, when he was little. His parents told him that they thought about living there first but went against the idea, saying that it was too small and crowded. They found Hulin not long after that and knew it was the place for them. Not too small and not too quiet. It felt perfect.

Louis had no real memory of Willowhaven, he was close to three years old when they came here. He seemed to recall that he was more interested in the many different types of people he saw.

“I remember when we landed here.” His father said, seeming like he was reading his mind. “Your mother took one look and said, 'nope, this won't do'. I agreed with her of course, all the while you were sitting quietly in my arms.” His dad chuckled. A pleasant memory.

“You never told me why you came here. Was it because of me?” Louis had guessed that was the reason but never actually knew if he was right. And it felt weird to just ask it.

“Truthfully. Yes. Back when I worked as a police officer on a world far from here, your mother and I agreed that, once you were born I would quit the police force and move to a quieter, safer place.”

“But why? Couldn't you have made it work?” Plenty of police have families. Why did his dad act differently?

“The planet I worked on, Krosa, was a dangerous, violent place. Perfect for police work. Not so great for raising a family. I didn't want you growing up without me. So when you came along I handed in my notice and took you and your mother away from that terrible place and eventually found Hulin.”

Louis was processing this. It felt strange to be the reason why two people completely change their lives. The next question seemed obvious. “Do you miss it?”

His dad was quiet, as if all those old memories of his days as an officer resurfaced all at once. “Being a cop? Sometimes. I tried to do as much good as I could with the badge but bureaucracy and red tape kept me from making much of an impact.”

“So how come you went into deliveries?” Quite a career change going from cop to delivery man.

“Actually I sort of fell into it.” He said with some embarrassment. “I offered to take some packages for folks around town. They then offered to pay and the rest just sort of expanded over time I like travelling so it seemed like a good fit.”

“Was being a cop your dream?”

He fell silent again. Louis guessed that the reason his dad didn't answer was because he didn't want to admit that, in part, Louis had taken that dream from him. “It was, a long time ago. But dreams change. I'm not the same man I was all those years ago. You and your mother are more important to me than any job will ever be.”

“I know, dad. But couldn't you have done something similar, like a private detective?”

“Don't think I'd be cut out for P.I. work. Some of my old buddies, when they quit, said they went into hunting. That's hunting as in bounties. Your uncle Murtry would know more than I do.”

“Bounty Hunting?” He heard of them before. They sounded like a scary bunch.

“Yup. Murtry said there's good money in it if you've got the patience and nerve for it. But the best part, he said, was that you worked for yourself. You can pick whatever contracts you want.”

“Would you ever consider doing that? Bounty Hunting?”

“Me? Ha! No, thank you. I had enough excitement when I was a police officer to last me a lifetime. But, uh, why do you ask? ”

“Just curious.” Clenching his fists he made tiny crystals of ice form around his knuckles and fingers. He couldn't be seriously considering this, could he? Louis threw the thought out of his mind. Bounty hunting, ha! Who was he trying to fool?

They spent the rest of the day delivering the rest of the packages, eating the food Sarah had prepared and talking about any recent gossip they had heard. When it was getting dark Louis checked the list and saw that they had one more stop to make. “Uncle Fress is our last client.” Unlike Murtry, Fress wasn't really Louis's uncle but he had been a friend to his father for so long that Louis saw him that way.

“Haven't seen ol' Fress in some time. Sure be nice to chat with him for a bit.” Louis wondered if his dad was hinting that he wanted to stay a while before they left for home.

“It's okay dad.” Louis grinned. “I don't mind if you want to stay a little longer.”

“Heh, well alright then.” He pulled the air-truck up outside the Bed & Breakfast that Fress owned, reversing into the delivery bay at the rear of the building.

Louis jumped down from the vehicle and pressed the buzzer next to the back door. Seconds later a short chimpanzee opened the door. “Hi Fress!” Louis greeted him.

“Louis! The last time I saw you you were only my size. Now look at you!” Fress grew a wide grin.

“Dad's here too, he's grabbing your order from the truck.” He indicated with his thumb the floating air-truck behind him.

“Wonderful! It's been a while since I've seen you boys. Come in! Come in!” He pushed the door open wider and stood to one side, letting Louis through and then his dad not long after. “Make yourselves comfortable, I'll be back with some food and drink!” His dad put the sealed box on a counter in the back area.

“You don't have to go to the bother-” Louis tried to say.

“Nonsense! It's not often I get to see Ben and his son.”

With the order delivered and signed for Louis's dad joined him in the main sitting area. It was a cosy room with a real fireplace, paintings of fields and cottages on the walls, old fashioned light fixtures and furniture. It was a room that had gone back in time to a moment that neither of them were alive for but Louis liked the rustic feel.

“Nice place Fress has got here.” His dad said as he made himself comfortable on a large sofa. “Be nice to spend a few nights here, wouldn't it?”

“Would it now?” Louis was always amused at the way his dad would try to give him ideas instead of speaking his mind.

“You could use a few days here, to rest and what not.”

“Is something going on?” Fress came in to the room pushing a tray with small bites of food and steaming pots of tea and coffee. “Help yourselves!”

Louis took a hot roll and filled a cup with coffee, adding the sugar and milk. “Thanks for the food Fress.”

“Don't mention it my boy! But what's all this talk about resting? Are you doing alright?”

“Oh, I'm fine.” He said it in a way that made it clear he didn't want to talk about it. His dad shook his head at Fress. The chimp nodded and changed the subject.

“How long has it been since I've seen you two? Five years?” He took a sip from his cup of tea.

“That sounds about right. Sorry we haven't been down more often.” Ben answered.

“That's perfectly fine! We're all busy people.” He was very jovial. Louis liked Fress's attitude towards life. He rarely got angry or upset at things and took everything in stride. Even when things in his own life weren't going particularly well.

Ben nodded sagely, as if Fress had said something profound. “True. Have any interesting customers lately?” He drank his own coffee.

“No, not really.” He took another sip. “But one person left a strange poster on the billboard yesterday.”

“Oh? What's so strange about it?” Louis asked.

“It's one of those bounties. You know, so much money to bring a person in alive... or dead.”

“I thought you didn't allow things like that to be advertised in here.” Said Ben.

“Normally I don't, but I make an exception when they have a 'bring them in alive' rule, no killing. I don't mind criminals being brought in to face justice. Killing them without a fair trial is wrong no matter what they've done.”

“Is that what's strange? That the contractor wants the person alive?”

“Nope, that's actually quite common, it's the amount they're asking for is what took my eye.” He paused for dramatic effect. “Three hundred thousand crystals.”

Louis had to stop drinking, worried he might have choked after hearing that. “Three hundred thousand? What did this person do? Kill a King? Destroy a planet?”

“I didn't look into it. It's over there if you want to check it out.” He pointed at the billboard near the front door.

Louis, with his curiosity peaked, got up to take a look. Finding it wasn't difficult, the price tag was unmissable, but it was the image of the wanted person that had caught his eye more-so than the money. She was an Arcancian like him. Her fur was magenta with honey coloured highlights. She had long hair and was dressed in an all-black outfit, a yellow collar around her neck with a star and light green eyes. There was a note saying that there was more information at the back. Louis pulled the poster off the board and flipped it over. There wasn't much.

Her name was Jenna, she is twenty-five, doesn't have a known home address and is wanted for crimes too numerous to mention. But the thing that raised his eyebrows was the big warning in red. It said:

WARNING: SUBJECT CAN SHAPE SHIFT AT WILL. IF YOU PERSUE TAKE EXTREME CAUTION WHEN APPROACHING. SHE IS VERY DANGEROUS!

Shape shifting? This Jenna has a power like him? Though having the ability to change your appearance sounded a lot better than having cold hands and being able to produce ice at will. But then he thought, if he could get the drop on her and freeze her before she could change then he might be able to bring her in and that money would be his and his shop would be his again.

What was he thinking? Looking for a dangerous criminal hiding in this vast galaxy? He could get killed! Placing the poster back onto the board he turned around to see his father whispering to Fress. The chimp nodded slowly, a look of disappointment on his face. They were talking about him, they had to be. He was a failure and they were right to feel let down by him. But if he caught this Jenna then everyone will know that he can do what needs to be done to succeed. Turning around he ripped the poster from the board and shoved it into his pocket.

This was a terrible idea.

* * *

Jenna was downstairs in the main floor of the antique store looking over all the interesting objects that Elrie had collected over the years. Some she recognised from her travels around the Galaxy but others were a mystery. It became apparent to her that this wasn't really an antique store and more of a museum. Which made her wonder why these items were for sale.

While picking up an item she recognised she failed to hear Elrie coming down the stairs and stepping into the room. She nearly jumped when her soft voice broke the silence. “That's a Madulien Sceptre.”

“It's incredible! I've seen one before but I never thought I'd hold one in my own hands!” She traced her fingers along the intricately designed patterns of trees and leaves that were expertly cut into the handle. The top of the sceptre had a dim crystal with the wood from the handle holding it like a hand, the fingers curled in around it, keeping it secure.

“You've seen one before?” Elrie sounded amazed. Not one person in this town knew what a Madulien Sceptre was. It was refreshing to finally meet someone who did.

“It was about a year ago now that I think about it. I came across a beautiful world that was home to a group calling themselves 'The Order of Madul'. When I met them I asked who or what Madul was and they explained-”

“-he was the founder of their world, a great healer and philosopher.”

Jenna smiled. “So you know the story already.” She twirled the sceptre in her hand before placing it back on the shelf. “How did you come by this sceptre? If I remember the Order never let people outside their group to wield one.”

“That's true. But my husband, he was a member of the Order. Like you I travelled a lot when I was young. And like you I stumbled across that same world where I met Ansan. Oh, he was the most kindest and loving person I had ever met. His talent for healing was matched only by his love for all things. I fell in love instantly. Not long after we set off together, visiting new worlds and healing those that needed it. It was a wonderful time. All that is on display in this room were acquired on our travels.”

Jenna wanted to say that it was a lovely story but it bothered her that she was selling these items. Didn't she want to keep them? Especially things like the Madulien Sceptre being as rare as they are. Surely she would prefer to keep everything as a reminder of him if not out of respect. “He must have been a great man.” Was what she said. It wasn't her place to question a stranger and what they did with their own stuff.

“He was.” Elrie paused, seemingly lost in thought. “That sceptre was only a part of who he was. He even told me on his death bed that I could do whatever I liked with his possessions.” She held a finger up. “Except for one thing. Actually this never belonged to him, it was a gift he had made for me. A memory egg.”

“A memory egg? I don't think I've heard of those.” She has seen so much to was possible that she has seen one before and has simply forgotten.

“Basically it is an egg shaped device that records and stores memories. And he had one made for me with all the memories that we shared together. When he gave it to me he said, 'Elrie, there are many things I hold dear in my heart but none as precious as you. Our time in this Galaxy together is something I will never forget. And with this we never will.' He give me the egg and not three weeks later he passed away.” Elrie's voice faltered, her husband's death still a sore spot for her.

Feeling sad for her Jenna said, “Oh Elrie, I'm so sorry.”

“It was a good life sweetie. I miss him terribly but I live for both of us now. The egg keeps him alive for me even if my own memory isn't what it used to be.”

“I wish I could have met him.”

“I'm sure you two would have gotten along. You seem like you're cut from the same cloth.”

Jenna grinned. “Thank you.”

“Would you like to see it?”

“I would love to.” She hooked her arm into Elrie's and the short sheep led her towards the back of the store where a safe was hidden behind a painting of a green and pink nebula. Elrie typed in the code, opened the tiny door and produced the egg. It looked large in her hands and had a plain look about it. Anyone breaking into her safe would be disappointed to see that there was nothing else inside.

Elrie switched the device on and quickly cycled through the recorded images of Ansan as seen through Elrie's eyes. “That's a beautiful thing Elrie.”

“Yes.” She placed the egg back and locked the safe.

Watching her place the painting back over the safe Jenna wondered something. “Strange how the thief knew the gem wasn't in there.”

“I must confess I'm a bit of a chatterbox. I may have revealed it's location without realising. I don't see many people these days and the gem is such an important part of my family I bring it up whenever I can.”

“Well, regardless, those goons will think twice before doing something so stupid again.” She said confidently.

“I hope so. That horrible gang has had it's tight grip around this town for as long as I've lived here.”

“I gave them a good scare and a warning.” She grinned.

“I wish I could have seen that. I don't like bullies.”

“Me neither, ma'am.” Jenna stretched. “Say, is there any more work you need help with?”

“Not at the moment, dear.” She half turned to go towards the kitchen when a thought came to her. “Actually I need Darras in today. Could you go to his home, wake him up and send him over?”

“Darras. Who's he?”

“My assistant. He's been helping me for years. He keeps track of all my records and I need him to sort some things out. Tax stuff.” She shrugged.

“Should be a lot easier than what I did last night.” Jenna giggled. “Not that I'm complaining, I actually had a lot of fun busting up that gang.”

Elrie smiled at her, “You're quite unusual, aren't you? Oh, I mean that as a compliment of course.” She quickly added.

Jenna waved away her comment. “I've been called worse. And you're right, I am unusual.”

“All the same, I'm glad you came here.”

“Thanks Elrie, meeting people like you makes visiting places worthwhile.”

Elrie blushed at the compliment. “How about a nice cup of tea before you go?”

“How can I refuse?” She said with a wide smile.

One boiled kettle later and the tea was ready. Elrie carried the delicate looking cup to her. “There you go.”

Jenna sipped the hot liquid. Tea wasn't her go-to drink of choice but when made well she could indulge in it. And this one was made well. “Oh my, I haven't had tea this good since-” She trailed off, thinking about a time long ago. A time she'd rather not think about right now. “Since I was at the Galactic Fair!” She lied.

“You've been to the Galactic fair too? I remember their tea being atrocious.” Elrie mused.

Jenna shrugged, “Guess I'm no tea expert.” She sipped some more. “But this really is delicious.” She placed the empty cup down in the table in front of her and stood up. “Think I'll head out and track down this Darras for you. Do you know where he lives?”

“I do indeed.” Elrie pulled open the drawer of her coffee table and produced a notepad and pen. She scribbled down the address, ripped the paper from the pad and held it out towards Jenna.

“I'll be back before you know it!” Jenna promised as she took the piece of paper and left the quaint little shop. Without her own means of transport Jenna often had to rely on others for long distance travelling but according to the directions Elrie had given her a ten minute walk was all she had to do.

Darras's home was on the second floor of a two story building. Jenna climbed the steps to reach the front door and rang the bell. She heard a fumbling noise as Darras struggled getting to the door. When he opened Jenna had to struggle not to laugh. He was a cheetah but his fur was in a mess and his hair was flat on one side. His eyes were half-open and there was some drool stuck to his chin. But even through all that she could tell that he was handsome. Jenna almost felt bad for waking him, but this was for a good cause.

“Hello, Darras is it?”

“Uh huh.” He grumbled.

“Elrie sent me. She wants you in the store, tax stuff she said.”

He sniffed. “Aw, that time of year already? Could have sworn it wasn't that long ago... Ah, you may as well come in while I get ready. Sorry if the place is a bit of a mess.”

That was an understatement.

Darras asked her, “You don't mind if I get a quick wash?”

“Oh, of course, go right ahead!” She heard the water running and turned her back away from the bathroom door and scanned the room she was in. Darras was no friend to cleanliness. Clothing and empty food packets littered the floor. Jenna had to tip-toe her way around the rubbish minefield.

“So how do you know Elrie?” He called out from the bathroom, rising his voice above the running water.

“I arrived on this planet a few days ago. I saw a flyer she had put up about her missing gem.” She still had the flyer hidden in her hair.

“Yeah, she told me about that. I would have helped but I'm not about to pick fights with the Osmarian Syndicate.” The water stopped and she could hear the rustle of a towel.

“Helping folks is what I do.”

“Even going up against a vast crime organization?” He sounded incredulous. Was this girl for real?

“If that's what it takes. My name is Jenna by the way.”

“What you're doing is pretty admirable, Jenna.” Darras stepped out of the bathroom. Jenna couldn't help but remark to herself that she had been correct in seeing his handsomeness behind his straight-out-of-bed look.

“Lots of people need help. I do what I can.”

“Does it pay well?”

“Excuse me?”

“I mean, you can't be doing it for free. What's the angle?” He stepped into the kitchen nook and poured himself a glass of milk. He didn't offer her any.

Jenna sighed, she got asked this question a lot. “There's no angle. I see someone who needs help and I give it to them. Whether they feel like repaying me is their choice.”

Darras was quietly drinking his milk while she spoke. She wasn't sure if he was even listening. “Seems to me you're conning yourself out of a sweet gig.” Jenna rolled her eyes. He clearly can't understand so there was no point trying to explain herself.

“Maybe. But that's also the reason why I'm here remember?”

“Oh, right. Elrie.” Jenna heard a hint of annoyance in his voice.

“You ready to go?”

“In a minute. Need to grab some things. Make a call. I'll be out shortly.” He slipped into his bedroom where Jenna could hear him opening and closing drawers and rifling through things. His voice was low as he spoke on the phone, but he was mercifully quick. When he came back he said, “Are you free later?”

Jenna was stunned into momentary silence. When she got her voice back she replied, “I am. Why do you ask?” She had an idea but wanted to make absolutely sure she wasn't misinterpreting him.

“You said yourself that you're new here. Maybe I can show you around town?”

She thought about it. He didn't seem like her type, but then people had a way of surprising her. And after last night a more relaxing evening might be in order. “That would be great!”

Darras smiled for the first time that morning. “Cool.” He checked his watch. “I'll be finished at Elrie's in about four hours. You can come by then.”

“Alright. I'm sure I can find things to do until then.”

“Yeah, sure.” He opened the front door, indicating for her to leave his apartment. He locked the door behind him and walked down the steps to his car. The vehicle was old and well worn but it worked and got him to where he needed to go. “Some day I'll have enough money to buy a car ten times better than this one!”

Jenna touched the roof of the beat-up car. She saw spots of rust growing from the corners. “Hm, this thing is old. I bet it's seen a lot! If it could talk it probably has a hundred stories to tell.”

Darras chuckled. “I doubt it.”

He got into the car, slamming the door shut. He didn't ask Jenna if she needed a ride anywhere. Though she would have refused the lift since she was in a walking mood. The car bumped up and over the exit ramp and joined the minor traffic leading back the way she had come.

Jenna had to wonder how Darras ended up working for Elrie. Perhaps the kind old sheep simply offered him a paid job that gave him the weekends off? It was plausible. But she couldn't imagine Elrie enjoying his company any more than she did and that was only a brief encounter.

After she morphed a coat around herself, it was a cold morning, she began her short walk towards town and hopefully anyone else who was in need of assistance.

The four hours went by slow at first but when she met a middle-aged man who was having trouble carrying heavy crates they went by a lot faster. Strenuous work had that affect. Though Jenna hardly thought of it as strenuous. More like an easy work out. Being a shape shifter had advantages beyond changing her appearance. Internal changes could be just as effective.

When the time was almost near she made sure to have every last crate loaded and tied down. The man thanked her for her hard work and offered to buy her lunch. Jenna would have taken his offer but she would have been late getting back to Darras.

“I appreciate your kind offer. Maybe I'll call in for it another time.” She hoped she would.

“Fair enough. It was nice meeting you Jenna.” He shook her hand and they parted ways.

Checking the time Jenna figured she had enough to get back to Elrie's store with time to spare. Turned out she was right, but only by a few minutes. She could see shadows moving behind the windows and entered. The bell rang and Elrie and Darras turned to her.

“Hello Jenna. Thanks for getting Darras to come over.”

“Oh, it was no problem. Why he practically ran out the door when he knew you needed his help.”

“I always knew you were a good boy Darras, unlike the others.”

Darras coughed. “Anyway, I'm starving. Why don't we get something to eat?”

“That's a fine idea! I'll get my coat.” The little sheep said excitedly.

“I was thinking it would just be the two of us, you know?” He winked at Elrie who nodded her understanding.

“Say no more. Have fun you two!”

Elrie waved to them as they entered Darras's car, the rusted door making a horrible strained sound, as if one good thud would make them fall off the hinges. Jenna carefully closed the door.

“So where are you taking me?” She asked.

“One of my favourite spots. I eat there all the time and the people you meet are the most interesting bunch you'll ever run into.”

“That sounds like my kind of place!” She felt excited. Maybe she had him all wrong?Darras didn't look too thrilled though but that could be nerves. 

Darras took her to a place that, unlike his previous description, didn't look too friendly. There were a lot of mean looking people hanging about, and watched them approach with a dark and curious look. “Uh, nice place.” She wasn't scared but she was curious why Darras would bring her here.

“I know it's not much to look at but wait until you get inside.”

“If there's one thing I know for certain about life is that you can rarely tell what anything is by just looking at it. There's always more going on beneath the surface.”

“Is that some of your travellers wisdom?”

“I suppose so.” She smiled.

“Why don't you head on in? I have another call to make.”

“Sure.” She watched him go around the corner out of sight then entered the building. Inside was a dingy looking bar with a pig bartender covered in stains. He was spitting in and 'cleaning' a glass when he saw her come in. Apparently her wisdom didn't apply to this place. So why did Darras lie to her about it? Was he worried that she would be ashamed of him? That she would think less of him that this was his favourite spot? Or, like her gut was telling her, was this a trap?

“You lost missus?”

“Ah, no, Darras brought me here.”

The pig laughed. “Darras sure knows how to treat a woman. Pick a seat, I'll be right with ya.”

Jenna sat at the nearest table. The place was mostly empty since it was still early but she felt like being near the exit was the wisest way to be.

Darras returned as the pig bartender came to the table. “What're ya havin'?”

Resting her arms on the table she looked over at Darras who was still standing and said, “Darras, you're the regular here. What do you suggest?”

“Um, well, I'm in the mood for a big lunch.” As he sat down he ordered a substantial meal, like he was ordering a three course dinner at a restaurant. Jenna's fur tingled. He was stalling. But for what?

“Elrie never said who stole her gem.”

“What?”

“The gem, the one that I got back for her. Someone stole it for the Syndicate. I'm just wondering who did it.”

“I'm sure they have expert thieves and safe crackers. They could easily do it themselves.”

“Sure, except she never kept it in the safe. And you know that.”

“Bu-but I...”

“And those calls you had today. Who were you talking to Darras? Was it the Syndicate? Did you steal for them?”

Darras was audibly panting, his eyes wide in disbelief. He was certain that she wouldn't see through him. He had played it so cool around her! “I'm sorry, I've got my own problems and debts to pay. When they told me about some cat person who stole back Elrie's gem I knew it had to be you.”

“And you called them.” She now realised what the second call was. “And they're on their way here.”

He nodded, not able to look at her. She heard doors being closed and locks getting shut. Outside she heard vehicles pulling up and people moving around and the unmistakable sound of guns being loaded and cocked.

“Hey, dragon girl!” It was Harvey. “I'm ready for ya this time!”

Jenna massaged her temple. This was supposed to be a relaxing day.


End file.
